Closure with safety lock



March 5, 1968 J. B. POMPA 3,371,809

CLOSURE WITH SAFETY LOCK Filed June 30, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1 JosephB. Pampb I INVENTOR.

March 5, 1968 J. B. POMPA 3,371,809

CLOSURE WITH SAFETY LOCK Filed June 30, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Joseph B.Pompa INVENTOR.

United States Patent Ofilice 3,371,809 Patented Mar. 5, 1968 3,371,809CLOSURE WITH SAFETY LOCK Joseph B. Pompa, 79 Furlong Road, Rochester,N.Y. 14623 Filed June 30, 1967, Ser. No. 650,359 11 Claims. (Cl. 215-9)ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A closure cap for a container of the typeincluding an externally threaded neck, the cap member including aninternally threaded generally cylindrical body' portion closed at oneend and removably threadedly engaged on the neck and including aradially shiftable abutment locking screw which is projectable into thethread path and is positionably behind the point at which at least oneinner convolution of the threads on the neck terminates so as to providean abutment for preventing the threaded closure cap from being unscrewedfrom the associated container neck as opposed to relying upon frictionalengagement of a setscrew with a threaded portion of the neck of thecontainer, the outer end of the abutment screw including a configurationwhich will render it difiicult for a chlid to unscrew the abutmentscrew.

The closure cap of the instant invention has been designed primarily toprovide a means whereby containers, in which substances potentiallydangerous to young children, may be closed in a manner rendering itdiflicult for young children to open the containers.

It has been determined that an alarming number of young children underyears of age are poisoned each year merely because dangerous drugs,materials and poisons found around the household are left in containerswhich may be opened by young children and the containers are stored inareas or locations which are readily accessible to young children.

Records indicate that a child eats a potential poison 600,000 times ayear, that about 40,000 of these children are hospitalized and thatabout 600 die. Of course, of the majority of children that do not die asa result of accidental poisoning, many are permanently injured invarious degrees. I

The screw-type closure cap is probably the most common closure forcontainers in which dangerous drugs, materials and poisons are marketed.Accordingly, it is the main object of this invention to provide ascrew-type closure cap which will provide a means whereby the closurecap may be locked in a closed position on an associated container in amanner such that an adult may readily remove the cap but which willprevent substantially all young children from removing the closure cap.

The closure cap of the instant invention utilizes a basic principleinvolving a radial abutment screw carried by the cap and which may bedisplaced radially inwardly so as to prevent the closure cap from beingremoved from an associated externally threaded neck portion of acontainer. However, most screws of this type comprise setscrews andwould merely frictionally engage the member upon which the associatedcap is screwed and therefore such a setscrew must be tightly turnedinwardly to cause sufficient frictional engagement with the associatedcontainer to prevent the cap from being unscrewed. Providing a setscrewof this type is not desirable inasmuch as some persons authorized toopen a container on which a cap is disposed including such a setscrewmight not be able to readily outwardly displace the setscrew so as toenable the closure cap to be removed.

It is accordingly a further object of this invention to provide aclosure cap including an abutment screw which is operable to prevent thecap from being unscrewed from an associated container by establishing anabutment against rotational movement of the cap as opposed to a setscrewwhich must rely on frictional engagement alone.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a closure cap inaccordance with the preceding objects and which is adaptable for use oncontainers constructed of various materials including relativelynon-deformable glass as well as somewhat deformable plastic material.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein isto provide a closure cap with a safety lock feature which will conformto conventional forms of manufacture be of simple construction and easyto use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible,long lasting and relatively trouble-free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a glass container such as an aspirinbottle with the safety lock closure of the instant invention operativelyassociated therewith;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the safety lock closure;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantiallyupon a plane passing through the center of the upper portion of theassemblage illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 but illustrating the abutmentscrew of the safety lock closure slightly radially outwardly displacedand the safety lock closure partially unscrewed from engagement of theaspirin bottle;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the upper portion of theassemblage illustrated in FIGURE 3 and as seen from the right side ofFIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to the upper portionof FIGURE 1 but illustrating a modified form of safety lock closure;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantiallyupon a plane passing through the center of the assemblage illustrated inFIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view similar to FIGURE 7but illustrating a second modified form of safety lock closure;

FIGURE 9 is yet another fragmentary vertical sectional view similar toFIGURE 7 illustrating a third modified form of safety lock closure;

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating a fourthmodified form of safety lock closure; and

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view similar to FIGURE 10but illustrating the abutment screw of the safety lock closureillustrated in FIGURES 10 and 11 in a radially outwardly displacedunlocked position.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generallydesignates a container such as an aspirin bottle which includes anexternally threaded neck portion including double external threads 14.The safety lock closure cap is referred to in general by the referencenumeral 16 and includes a generally cylindrical body portion 18 closedon its outer end by means of a top wall 20 and including double internalthreads 22 which are threadedly engageable with the threads 14.

With attention now invited more specifically to FIG- URES 3-5 of thedrawings it may be seen that the body portion 18 includes a threadedradial bore 24 in which a threaded abutment screw 26 is threadedlyengaged. When the abutment screw 26 is outwardly displaced from theinner locking position illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings to theunlocked position illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings the safetylock closure cap 16 may be unthreaded from the neck portion 12 in theconventional manner. However, after the closure cap 16 has been fullythreaded onto the neck portion 12 and is positioned as illustrated inFIGURES 3 and of the drawings it will be noted that the radial bore 24is slightly spaced from the inner end 28 of one of the threads 14. Thus,the abutment screw 26, which is operable to turn reasonably freely inthe bore 24, may be engaged with a thumb or finger tip on the serratedouter end surface 30 thereof so as to turn the abutment screw 26inwardly to the position thereof illustrated in FIGURE 3 in whichposition the inner end of the abutment screw 26 is disposed behind andengageable with the inner end 28 of one of the threads 14 whenever theclosure cap 16 is turned even slightly in a counterclockwise directionfrom the position thereof illustrated in FIGURE 5 of the drawings.Accordingly, the inner end of the abutment screw 26 comprises anabutment operable to positively prevent, and not merely frictionallyresist, unscrewing of the closure cap 16.

The utilization of the inner end of the abutment screw 26 as an abutmentas opposed to a means to tightly frictionally engage the neck portion 12enables the closure cap 16 to be utilized on neck portions constructedof glass which might easily break if the abutment screw 26 was used as aconventional setscrew and had to be excessively tightened. Further, byutilizing the closure cap 16 on a container such as the aspirin bottlewhich is constructed of somewhat deformable plastic material, after theabutment screw 26 has been shifted to the locked position illustrated inFIGURE 3 of the drawings the person locking the closure cap 16 on thecontainer 15 could then slightly angularly displace the closure cap 16in a counterclockwise direction as far as he could to tightly wedge theabutment screw 26 on the inner end 28 of the thread 22. In this manner,the abutment screw 26 could not be readily loosened by even an adultfamiliar with the operation of the closure cap 16 until such time as theclosure cap 16 has again been rotated slightly in a clockwise di rectionto a fully closed position in which the abutment screw 26 would be movedfrom tight frictional engagement with the inner end 28 of the thread 22thereby enabling the abutment screw 26 to be readily turned outwardly inthe manner hereinabove set forth.

With attention now invited more specifically to FIG- URES 6 and 7 of thedrawings there may be seen a first modified form of closure capgenerally designated by the reference numeral 16' and which issubstantially identical to the closure cap 16 except that it includes anoutwardly projecting boss portion 34 through which the outer end of anelongated radial bore 24 corresponding to the radial bore 24 opens andthe outer end of the abutment screw 26' corersponding to the abutmentscrew 26 is provided with a screwdriver kerf 36.

In FIGURE 8 of the drawings there is illustrated a second modified formof closure cap which is generally designated by the reference numeral16". The closure cap 16" is identical to the closure cap 16 except thatthe radial outermost end of the abutment screw 26" thereof includes adiametrically enlarged head 38.

In FIGURE 9 of the drawings there is illustrated another modified formof closure cap generally referred to by the reference numeral and whichutilizes an outwardly projecting boss portion 42 similar to the bossportion 34 but including a counterbore 44 at the outer end of the bore46. In this manner, an abutment screw 48 similar to the abutment screw26 and also including a diametrically enlarged head 50 may have its head50 recessed completely in the boss 42.

With attention now invited more specifically to FIG- URES 10 and 11there may be seen a final modified form of closure cap generallyreferred to by reference numeral 52 including a radial bore 54corresponding to the bore 24. The radial bore 54 includes a counterbore56 on its inner end in which a deformable head 58 carried by theabut-ment screw 60 of the closure cap 52 is receivable when the abutmentscrew 66 is disposed in the unlocked position illustrated in FIGURE 11of the drawings. However, the deformable head 50 is also positionableinwardly of the inner end of one of the associated threads 62 to preventthe closure cap 52 from being rotated toward an open position. Thedeformable head 58 may be used to advantage when the associatedcontainer is constructed of a frangible material such as glass and italso serves to provide a means whereby the abutment screw 60 may not becompletely withdrawn from the associated radial bore 64 and accidentallylost. Of course, a deformable head such as head 58 may be utilized onany of the abutment screws hereinabove described if the associated capis provided with an inner counter bore similar to counterbore 56.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with a container including an externally threaded neckincluding a thread convolution terrninated at its inner end outwardly ofthe inner end of the neck, a cap member including an internally threadedhollow body portion removably threadedly engaged on said neck, said bodyportion including abutment means shiftable generally radially of saidbody into and out Of position aligned with an inwardly of the inner endof said convolution in position to abut said inner end and prevent saidcap member from being unscrewed relative to said neck.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the inner end of said convolutionterminates abruptly.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said body portion includes agenerally radial threaded bore said abutment means comprising anabutment screw threadedly engaged in said bore and including an outerend face adapted to be frictionally engaged by a single finger of apersons hand for rotating said abutment screw outwardly of said bore.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the inner end of said convolutionterminates abruptly.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said body portion includes agenerally radial threaded bore, said abutment means comprising anabutment screw threadedly engaged in said bore and including an outerend face adapted to be engaged by a tool for applying torsional forceson said screw.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said end face includes atransverse kerf formed therein.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said body portion includes agenerally radial threaded bore, said abutment means comprising anabutment screw threadedly engaged in said bore and including an outerend face adapted to be frictionally engaged by a single finger of apersons hand for rotating said abutment screw outwardly of said bore,the outer end portion of said screw projecting slightly outwardly ofsaid cap member and including a diametrically enlarged terminal end headupon which said end face is disposed.

8. The combination of claim 1 wherein said body portion includes agenerally radial threaded bore, said abutment means comprising anabutment screw threadedly engaged in said bore and including an outerend face adapted to be frictionally engaged by a single finger of apersons hand for rotating said abutment screw outwardly of said bore,the outer end of said bore including a counterbore, the outer endportion of said screw including a diametrically enlarged head disposedin said counterbore and upon which said end face is disposed.

9. The combination of claim 1 wherein said body portion includes agenerally radial threaded bore, said abutment means comprising anabutment screw threadedly engaged in said bore and including an outerend face adapted to be engaged by a tool for applying torsional forceson said screw, the outer end of said bore being defined in a radiallyoutwardly projecting portion of said cap member.

10. The combination of claim 1 wherein said body portion includes agenerally radial threaded bore, said abutment means comprising anabutment screw threadedly engaged in said bore and including an outerend face adapted to be engaged by a tool for applying torsional forceson said screw, the inner end of said bore including a counterbore, theinner end of said screw including a diametrically enlarged head heldcaptive in said counterbore.

11. The combination of claim 10 wherein said head is constructed ofresilient deformable material.

References Cited JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

R. PESHOCK, Assistant Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,371,809 March 5, 1968 Joseph B. Pompa It is certified that errorappears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent arehereby corrected as shown below:

Column 4 line 38 "a Sho read and -;t H

Signed and sealed this 19th day of August 1969.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

